Millions to be spent on flood-prone village

Water levels rose in Chalfont St Peter in February

A water company said it would spend £2.5m protecting a village from future flooding from a sewer.

Thames Water said the money would be spent in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, where it had been a recurring problem.

Business owners previously said the impact on trade was worse than during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The water company said it would introduce sewer monitors and line pipes, to reduce the amount of groundwater entering the sewer network.

Residents in Chalfont St Peter had to deal with road closures in February due to flooded roads

A new tanker filling point was due to be created off the junction with the High Street, to avoid disruption to residents and businesses.

Road closures would therefore be in place from the junction with the A413 to opposite the River Misbourne until the end of November, Thames Water said.

The improvements would also include changes to West Hyde sewage pumping station, to allow more wastewater to be pumped to Maple Lodge Sewage Treatment Works.

A new micro-filtration system would be installed at the Amersham storm tanks, to reduce the impact of spills to the River Misbourne, and manholes would continue to be sealed.

Conservative Buckinghamshire Council and Chalfont St Peter parish councillor Isobel Darby said she was "delighted" with the news.

She said the area had suffered "for many years" and the episodes had been "unpleasant and a risk to the health of our residents, but incredibly damaging to those whose properties have been flooded".

Tankers were brought in to clear the water in February

Danny Leamon, waste performance director for Thames Valley and Home Counties at Thames Water, apologised for any disruption that would be caused.

He said the work would "help minimise overflows from manholes and sewers and help protect the village during the wetter months of the year".

"Flooding in the area will take many years to mitigate... but we do see this as a positive step in the right direction."